A few weeks ago, the usual “rant” editorial appeared in the Penticton Herald. “Why aren’t people supporting the Vees …… ?”I mentioned my amusement to my wife that the newspaper editor continued to complain that people weren’t supporting the Vees but wasn’t taking note of the archaic unfair, stupid, ridiculous manner in which the Vees attempted to sell tickets.

To this my wife said “Well you haven’t checked the Vees ticket site for over a year they must have fixed it by now.

I immediately forgot all about the conversation, until this weekend….

Friends were over for dinner and we got talking about the new movie “Zero Dark Thirty”, we decided that we should go. Another piped up that “It’s real easy to get tickets you can get them on line, etc etc.”With that I went to our home office and brought up the Landmark Cinema web site. Located the show, the time we wanted and bought 4 tickets and printed out a piece of paper that will get us in to the theatre.

It was only at that point I made the link to my earlier conversation with my wife and my reading of the Penticton Herald editorial about Vees tickets. The next morning I compared purchasing 4 tickets for a Vees game vs my purchasing 4 tickets to the movie.

Quite a difference…

Landmark Cinema

Price for on line ticket (quoted at site) $10.50.Price at door $ 10.50Additional costs to purchase an online ticket $00.00Final price for one $10.50 on line ticket - $10.50Final price for 4 $10.50 on line tickets - 4 X $10.50 = $42.00Procedure at Theatre, produce self printed ticket, or use code provided to print ticket at theatre.

... or...Price at the door $10.50

Vees Ticket

Price for on line ticket (quoted at site) $12.50Price at door $13.00Additional costs to purchase an online ticket $3.25 (plus $3.50 “order charge”)Final price for one $12.25 on line ticket - $19.00Final price for four $12.25 on line tickets (4 X $12.25 = $49.00) - $65.50 ($3.25 extra each in fees, plus $3.50 order charge)Procedure at arena, you still have to line up and obtain a ticket from “Will Call” at the box office.

... or...Price at the door $13.00

So, why can Landmark Cinemas vend their tickets so easily, make things so easy for their customers and the Vees make it so hard ?

In this day and age, lots of people now want to purchase ticketing for events on line, before they attend an event. They don’t want to line up, not knowing what seats are available, they want to make their purchase in the comfort of their homes and then walk up to the arena, tender their self printed ticket and walk in.

In this day and age that is the norm.

As for the price. If you want to charge me $19.00 for a ticket to a Vees game, then tell me it's $19. Don't tell me it's $12.25 and then add on user fee after user fee. I get enough of that crap from the Provincial Government with their "lower taxes" and then increased user fees.

So, if I feel the need for an evening of entertainment,,, ? Vees ?? Movie ??,,,,,, MOVIE, I don't need the frustration and the feeling of being ripped off.

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it"

I believe this is a very valid issue and the Vee's ownership should be aware. I understand they are not pleased with ticket sales to date. Perhaps the OP should shoot an email off to the Vee's ownership. Just posting here on Castanet isn't likely to change anything. http://www.pentictonvees.ca/leagues/cus ... ageid=2262

southy wrote:I believe this is a very valid issue and the Vee's ownership should be aware. I understand they are not pleased with ticket sales to date. Perhaps the OP should shoot an email off to the Vee's ownership. Just posting here on Castanet isn't likely to change anything. http://www.pentictonvees.ca/leagues/cus ... ageid=2262

I've contacted them before, I think on three occasions, plus other input. I haven't seen any changes.

It seems crazy doesn't it.

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it"

My5cents ... that is frustrating. Do you know who actually is the principal owner of the Vees. I would find that out and personally get in touch with this individual. I suspect when looking at the Vees website that the emails and contact people they have listed are actually employees of Global Spectrum and they certainly wouldn't want to lose any revenue coming from the Vees ticket sales. Silly question buttt ... wonder if City Hall can help in anyway at least to get an answer. There is also the Managerof Global Spectrum who might be able to clarify things for you. Good luck.

The VEES don`t sell tickets , Global Spectrum sell the tickets . The online ticket purchase is a Rip off, but that is the way they do it at the Warrior games in West Kelowna , I got burned with that Rip off pricing up there , They called it a convience fee ,yah for the ticket seller .Never bought tickets that way again . Dean Clarke is the GM of the SOEC call him , he`s a decent fellow ,but then again he works for GS .good luck with that!! want cheap VEES tickets go to London Drugs .Vees next home game Jan 25 against Vernon,we have a good team again this year . come out

Point well made. The overall experience for clients does count and no one likes to be gouged. Even if this practice "flies" in bigger Okanagan markets doesn't make it right. Entertainment dollars can be spent in many ways.

Without wanting to high-jack this tread but further to the Editor's column, I'd rather go to the movies than watch the Vees:Maybe just bad luck but more than 1/2 of the (few) games that I attended to date disappoint me. My last game (Jan 26th, playing the Warriors) was embarrassing. Not because the Vees lost but because of the poor sportsmanship in the last few minutes of the 3rd - you may have guessed it: 6 to 8 players with fists flying in the corner. Sure, there were a number of players ejected from the game but when you witness this (with my young kids) and work every day to teach kids to not resort to violence, there's a disconnect for you (and I'll be a fool to pay $60+ on top!). Might not be the Vees fault - could be junior hockey as a whole but I don't know enough (nor care) at this point. With some luck, Mr.Fraser and/or Miller might read this.

Have to agree that in todays world, the tech involved in printing your own bar coded paper ticket is not exactly a new phenom and common sense would suggest it would save money for the vendor as well as encourage higher attendance if people could just arrive with paper ticket in hand and proceed straight thru the turnstyles.That quirk aside, with 9 out of 10 movies produced being garbage, I'll take a Vee's game with a burger over a movie and a tub of popcorn any night of the week. The burger and the popcorn are not far apart in price either lol.

Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

The Vees are playing the vipers on Fri at 7.00 . Come out and watch some good hockey ,walk around the rink at intermission ,you never know who you will meet, old and new friends everywhere, you cant do that at the theater , GO VEES GO